Maybe this is for the better
by Stargirl720
Summary: Takao Kazunari has been surrounded by love his whole life. But, in a flash, it's all taken away. And he doesn't know how to deal with it, let alone deal with raising his sister and everything that comes with. This has character death as well as abandonment problems. May be triggering to some. Rated T to be safe.


**A/N:** ** _Okay, I need you to read this. There are going to be things and words I explain because this was for a language assignment. They do not know what "nanodayo", "kohai", and a couple other things mean, so I explained it. I'm sorry if this is annoying to you, please_** ** _forgive me._** **Now that we got past that, I will tell you this has character death and sadness. Also, abandonment. Maybe be triggering to some. If so, I apologize. Also, Takao and Midorima are gay. I ship it. So, in this story, they are canon. Yay. Onto the depressing story. It made me cry. I'm pathetic, I apologize.**

"Your mother has been diagnosed with brain cancer."

The words bounced around in Kazunari's head as tears welled in his eyes. "Excuse me, could you repeat that? I don't think I heard right, it sounded like you said my mom had brain cancer."

The doctor looked sympathetic, turning the test results toward him. "I'm afraid it's true. She has a Grade 3 brain tumor. It has been developing for far too long, but we'll see what we can do to help."

Kazumi, his little sister, tugged his shirt sleeve. "Onii-chan," (that is Japanese for "Big Brother") she tilted her head, curious. "What's a brain tumor?"

Kazunari bit his lip. "Kazumi, it means Mom is very sick. She will get better though, right?" Kazunari looked at the doctor with panic dancing in his eyes.

The doctor scratched his neck and looked away. "Well, we can't guarantee it-" Kazunari narrowed his eyes and Kazumi's eyes watered. "-but we will try our hardest to help your mother get better. However, we need to keep her here for a little bit for observation."

Kazunari nodded, satisfied, before turning back to his eight-year-old sister. "See, Kazumi? Mom's gonna be fine." The little girl nodded before opening her arms, wanting Kazunari to pick her up. Smiling a little bit, he picked her up and they walked to Takao Yuki's bedside. The doctor left in favor of giving them time to accept the news. Yuki, Kazunari and Kazumi's mother, had yet to wake up. So, the sibling sat there in wait, hoping she would wake up soon. In the meantime, they talked about what they wanted to do tomorrow.

Kazumi giggled. "I want to go for ice cream, Onii-chan. Can we, can we?"

Kazunari shrugged. "I don't see why not. I mean, you'd have to wait for me to get out of basketball practice and then we could go. But consider it done." Thinking, Kazunari pulled her closer onto his lap. "Are you fine with walking to my school after you get out of yours? It's not that far."

The child nodded. "I can get there. I know the way, Mommy showed me when we were going to pick you up because it was your birthday."

Kazunari smiled. "Well, that's good. Can I trust you to go straight there after you get out?" Kazumi nodded. "Okay. What else do you want to do? I mean, Mom is still gonna be in here once we get out. Do you wanna come visit her?" Once again, Kazumi nodded, but then the person on the bed next to him stirred. Kazunari put on a smile for his mother.

Slowly, Yuki turned to them as she yawned. "Kids?" Her voice was muddled as she tried to speak over her yawn. "What are we doing here?" She sat up and stretched with another yawn.

Kazunari dropped his smile. "Mom, it's not good. It's not good at all."

Yuki stopped stretching and looked at him, sensing that this was serious. "What happened? Are you guys okay? Am I okay?"

Kazunari shook his head. "Mom, you aren't okay." He took a deep breath as tears spilled over his cheeks. "You have a Grade 3 brain tumor." Yuki gasped and bit her lip. "They're gonna try to help, but I don't know if we can pay for it, or if it will even help you!" He clutched his sister tighter, not willing to let her go.

Yuki stretched her hand out to grab his. "Kazunari, listen. I'm going to be fine. As long as we take the precautions necessary and seek out doctor's help, I'll be fine." She smiled and let go of his hand, reaching up to wipe his tears away. "I'm going to be fine, Kazunari." She looked to her most recent child. "Kazumi, don't you worry either. Everything will be okay."

Retracting her hand, she sighed. "How long am I going to be in this place?"

Kazunari shrugged. "I don't know. They said they'd like to keep you for a little longer for observation."

Yuki straightened, swallowing. "Okay. However long they need to watch me, I'll let them. I want to get better. Not just for me, but for you two as well." She cracked a smile. "What would you do without me?" Kazunari laughed through his tears and Yuki grinned, happy she made her son smile. "Now could you get me food? I'm hungry."

Kazunari nodded, lifting Kazumi off of his lap and holding her hand. "Do you want anything, Kazumi?" The little girl nodded and Kazunari started walking. "Then come on, let's go get something to eat." They left the hospital room and Kazunari took a deep breath, trying to figure out ways to deal with the fact that his mother was slowly dying.

~( )~

Kazunari stretched, walking next to Midorima Shintarou, his best friend. "Shin-chan, you look fabulous."

Shintarou frowned. "Takao, how many times have I told you not to call me that?"

The hazel-eyed boy grinned. "Eight times in the past two years. Guess you can't hate it that much, huh?"

Shintarou pursed his lips. "Well shut up. I'm tired of hearing your voice, nanodayo (Japanese for 'in fact' or 'n such'. Can also be perceived as a stutter)."

Kazunari pretended to be offended. "Oh, Shin-chan, that hurts." He clutched his chest. "That hurts right here." He then burst into a giggle fit before sighing. "But seriously, you do look fabulous."

Shintarou adjusted the sparkly silver beret, shimmering on top of his green hair. "Thank you, nanodayo."

Kazunari nodded. "No problem." He looked forward. "Say, what do you think we'll do for practice today? How should be torture our subject's?"

"I say we should have them run through the normal regimen and then have them practice dribbling and passing." Shintarou pushed his glasses up with his middle finger and Kazunari watched them glint, silently wondering how they did that.

"Okay, I'm good with that." He shivered as the wind blew over them. "I think I'm starting to like being co-captain. Especially when you're captain, Shin-chan." He winked and giggled when Shintarou's face turned red. "Don't worry, I'm not hitting on you. It's just a joke." They arrived at the basketball gym to see everyone already dressed and waiting. Kazunari raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so we have some early birds, huh? Five laps around the gym while we get dressed. Don't slack off, we'll know." The two jogged to the changing room and the basketball team.

Shintarou smirked. "I like your thinking, Takao."

Minutes later, the captain and co-captain emerged from the changing room, prepared for a grueling day of exercise. Kazunari grinned, clapping his hands together. "Be ready everyone! We're all going to run through the regular regimen. There will be no slacking off, if we catch you doing any, your regimen will be doubled. Okay, now get going!"

Everyone groaned and started their usual routine for basketball practice. However, fifteen minutes in, a little girl walked into the gym. It was Kazumi, carrying her book bag covered in characters from her favorite anime, Ouran High School Host Club. Kazumi's favorite character had to be Tamaki because of how the blonde over dramatized things.

Kazunari waved, pausing his workout to talk to her. Her face lit up when she noticed him walking over. "Onii-chan! I walked here all by myself since Mommy is sick! Are you proud of me?"

Kazunari giggled at her antics. "Of course I am. Are you fine with playing with your toys until practice gets out? It's gonna be a while." He worried over whether or not his little sister would get bored.

Kazumi shrugged, pulling her book bag off. "I'm fine." Then she ran up the bleachers, to the very top. Once at the top, in the corner, she pulled out her homework and began working on that.

Kazunari turned to where everyone was gawking at him. He pursed his lips, playfully squinting. "Why are you all staring?"

One of the kohai (Japanese for "lower classmen") scratched his head. "Well, we didn't really think you had siblings, Takao-senpai. In fact, I didn't even think you had a life outside of high school and basketball."

Kazunari exaggerated a gasp and clutched his chest dramatically. "Ooo, that hurts." Clearing his throat, he looked to the side, "I do actually have a life outside of school. Sometimes it just isn't something to talk about." He shook it off and raised eyebrows. "What did I say about slacking off? Get to it!"

Shintarou glanced skeptically at his partner. "Takao, why is your sister here? Doesn't Takao-sama usually pick her up from school, nanodayo?"

Kazunari nodded. "Yeah, Kazumi is usually picked up by Mom, but, as she said, Mom is sick. Very sick." He looked at the ground, whispering to himself, "I don't know if she'll get better."

Shintarou, however, had very good ears. "Is she okay? How bad is the illness?"

Kazunari took a deep breath. "It's nothing. She'll get better, don't worry." Then he put on a smile and went to finish the work regimen with the team.

Shintarou frowned and grabbed Kazunari's arm. "No, get back here, nanodayo. What's wrong with Takao-sama?"

Kazunari tried to get Shintarou to release him, but his effort was for naught. He held back his anger and said in a deadly calm voice, "Shin-chan, let me go. Now."

Shintarou was surprised but shook his head. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

Kazunari's eyes welled with tears the more he struggled. "Let me go! LET ME GO, SHIN-CHAN!" When the shooting guard refused, he screamed, "MY MOM HAS BRAIN CANCER!" Everyone in the gym stopped and Kazumi looked up from her homework. "My mom has brain cancer, and it's already Grade 3. The doctor doesn't think she'll have a chance, but I can't... I can't just give up on her. I need to try, I need to try to help her." He took a shuddering breath before he sat down and cried into his hands.

Kazumi ran down and gave him a hug. "Don't worry, Onii-chan. The doctor said Mommy's gonna be okay. And doctor's don't lie, right? He wouldn't lie to us, right?"

Kazunari frowned. "The thing is, they can't know for sure. Not when it comes to cancer. They never know whether or not someone is actually going to be okay." Looking at his little sister, Kazunari continued, "I'm sorry, Kazumi. We don't know if she's gonna be okay or not."

Shintarou flinched and looked to the side awkwardly. "Is it okay if I visit? She's a kind woman, I want to wish her well, nanodayo."

Kazunari nodded and stood up. He swallowed away his sorrow and shook off the sadness. "Okay, now let's get back to practice. We have a lot to do." Kazumi ran back to her homework station, ignoring everything else.

An hour later, practice was over and everyone was walking home. Kazunari was giving Kazumi a piggy back ride, with Shintarou walking next to them. Kazunari and Shintarou always walked home together, so it was strange to have Kazumi coming along. She rambled on about her day, saying it was kinda weird. Everyone at school kept asking if she was okay, which she was, so it confused her. Kazunari smiled sadly. "It's because they heard about Mom."

Kazumi raised an eyebrow. "How? I didn't say anything, and I don't think the doctor would either."

The older brother sighed. "I told them. I called them early this morning and told them what happened, what's going on. It's so it's easier on you. We can't have you keeling over from stress, now can we?" He chuckled.

Kazumi made a weird face before accepting the answer. "Okay. I trust you, Onii-chan."

Shintarou adjusted the bag on his shoulder, glancing at the pair. "You two are extremely close, I presume?" He seemed unhappy, and Kazunari had made it his job to make his friend happy, so this was unsettling.

Kazunari smiled, nodding. "Yeah, of course we are. What about you and your sister?"

Shintarou looked to the side, frowning. "I wouldn't say we're close. More like, we know each other well enough to survive birthdays, nanodayo." He swallowed, an unwell feeling settling in his gut. Looking up, he saw they were at the ice cream shop. "Well, this is where I take my leave." He turned to the pair. "Have a good day, Takao, Onna-Takao (onna is the prefix used for females in Japan)." As he was about to leave, a tiny hand grabbed his shirt.

Kazumi held on tight, refusing to let go. "Stay? Please?" She blinked her eyes, gulping down her tears of unhappiness. She didn't want him to leave, she wanted Shintarou to stay. He was nice, but a little bit sad, too. He needed some joy in his life.

Shintarou sighed but nodded. "Okay. I'll stay." Walking up to the vendor, he ordered a simple vanilla cone for himself and then waited for the Takao's to order. Kazumi got a strawberry cone while Kazunari got a Neapolitan cone, grinning as he began to devour it. The three all began walking to the hospital, Kazumi excited to see her mother again.

They chatted idly about recent basketball games they watched, enjoying the happy atmosphere. However, the second Kazunari's phone started ringing, everyone was overhung with dread. Shaking off the feeling, he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Is this Takao Kazunari?"

Kazunari frowned, worried now. "Yes. Why, is there a problem?"

"I'm sorry to say, but your mother has passed away."

Kazunari felt his heart stop, his eyes widening as tears welled in them. "What?" He whispered meekly.

"She passed in her sleep. It turns out that the cancer infecting her brain was worse than we thought and it killed her." The monotone voice of the man was not helping this situation.

Overwhelming grief struck his heart, leaving him gasping for breath, trying to grasp what was going on. He closed his phone and swung Kazumi around to his front so he could make sure she'd hold on. Then, he sprinted toward to the hospital, unbelieving that she was really gone. Shintarou startled, chasing after him. "Takao! Takao, what happened, nanodayo?!" When the hawk-eye didn't answer him, he ran faster. "TAKAO!"

Only minutes later, they got to the hospital and Kazunari dashed to the third floor, skipping steps along the way. When he got there, he ran to the front desk. "Where is Takao Yuki roomed?"

The nurse checked her computer and frowned sympathetically. "Sir, I'm afraid she's-"

Kazunari straightened, interrupting the woman. "DO YOU THINK I WOULD BE LIKE THIS IF I DIDN'T KNOW? JUST TELL ME THE ROOM NUMBER!" Kazumi jumped at how loud his voice was.

The receptionist squeaked. "Room 314, straight down the hall on the left side."

Kazunari was off, sprinting to the room. Shintarou came gasping up the stairs, huffing as he arrived at the desk. "Excuse me, ma'am. Did you see a wild boy with a girl on his front?" The receptionist nodded. "I apologize for his behavior because you look pretty shaken, nanodayo. Sorry, could you tell me the room number of Takao Yuki?"

The receptionist repeated what she said and smiled, taking a deep breath. Shintarou took off, running to the room. When he arrived, he saw Kazunari sitting in front of the door, with Kazumi asking why he was crying. "Onii-chan? Onii-chan is something wrong with Mommy?"

Shintarou furrowed his brows, worried for his friend. "Takao? What's wrong, nanodayo?"

Kazunari hunched his shoulders before putting Kazumi down. Once she was down, he opened the door and walked inside to see nurses unhooking Yuki from the machines. He started sobbing and the doctor, Dr. Mochida, walked over, crossing his arms. "I'm sorry for your loss. We only just found out it was Grade 4 cancer, and it was moving too fast to cure."

Kazunari curled in on himself, his heart pounding in his ears. He jumped when Shintarou placed an arm on his shoulder comfortingly. In his arms was a wailing Kazumi, who clutched his shirt and choked on her own cries. "MOMMY!" She jumped out of his arms, running over to Yuki's body. "MOMMY WAKE UP, PLEASE!"

Kazunari ran over as well and took her hand. "Mom, please, don't..." He swallowed a lump down his throat. "Don't leave us! Don't leave us, please! We still need you! What will we do about the house? What about all the financial problems we don't understand? Please, just come back!" His tears dropped onto her hand and he realized Yuki couldn't come back. She was dead and gone, her body lifeless and cold.

Kazunari clutched his chest, the weight of her death piling atop his lungs, suffocating him. "No..." He mumbled brokenly. "No, you can't-" He took a deep breath. "You CAN'T BE DEAD, Mom. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! I don't know what to do without you! I don't know how to raise Kazumi, I don't know how to sell a house, I can't do anything without you! I love you, you can't leave! Please come back!" By now he was just rambling to ramble. Talking the pain away. Talking the reality away. Anything that would get her back, he'd try.

But Takao Yuki was too far gone to save, lost in a world of souls and spirits. Shintarou let his own tears fall, for she was a kind woman, full of laughter and goodness in her heart. He cleared his throat, approaching the siblings and sitting on the floor with them. The three sat, overwhelmed by the pain that lay upon their shoulders. Kazunari because it was his mother, how could he not be in pain? Kazumi was too young to go through this, she shouldn't be losing her mother this quickly. She didn't know how to deal with it, let alone deal with stress from her regular day-to-day activities. Shintarou was in pain because he always saw Yuki as a mother figure to him. Her strong points were where his own mother lacked. She was an amazing person, always trying to get people to smile. It ran in the family, Shintarou guessed. Not only was she a mother figure, she was just overall sweet and amazing to everyone. She was trustworthy, loving and lovable, selfless, honest, respectful, and responsible, despite her son.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, a nurse came up and gulped, not wanting to do this. She looked back at her fellow nurses, glaring at them. They all stuck out their tongues at her and shooing her toward them. She sighed and walked over, straightening her posture. "Sirs, ma'am. Visiting hours are over. You need to leave."

Kazunari swallowed down the sobs coming from his throat, having long run out of tears. "Does it count as visiting if the person is already dead?"

The nurse sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, sir. But yes. We need to preserve the body."

Kazunari bit his lip before nodding. "Okay. I get it." He stood up, followed by Shintarou. Kazumi, however, refused to leave her deceased mother's side.

"NO! I'M NOT LEAVING HER! NOT NOW, NOT EVER!" She screamed as they tried to take her away. She screamed louder and flailed her arms, hitting anything and anyone who got near. "YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"

Kazunari grabbed her by the arms, making her look at him. "LOOK AT ME!" The girl squirmed, trying to get free. However, his grip was too tight. "I SAID LOOK AT ME, KAZUMI!"

The girl defiantly turned her head towards him, a murderous glare on her face. "WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT, YOU JERK!"

Kazunari raised his voice louder, letting his yells fill the hall. "WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING! SHE'S DEAD, KAZUMI! SHE'S DEAD AND-" his voice cracked, "and she's not coming back. Kazumi, Mom isn't coming back. And there isn't anything we can do." He slumped and loosened his grip before letting go of her completely and curling into a ball.

The little girl stood in shock before sobbing. Kazunari hung his head in shame. "Kazumi, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled like that."

Kazumi wiped her tears away and watched as the nurses carted her bed away, taking her away to preserve her for the funeral that would most certainly be held. Kazunari opened his arms and his sister ran into them. He then picked her up and cradled her against his chest, walking out the hospital door. Shintarou was not far behind, carrying everyone's bags. Other hospital patients stepped out of their rooms to see who was shouting, only to see three people walking out of the nice lady's room and the nice lady being carted away, lifeless.

Once outside, the fresh air flooded everyone's senses and they took deep breaths, happy to be out of that place. They all began the walk home. The Takao's house was farther than the Midorima's house, so they walked him home first. Once they arrived at the gate to the house, Shintarou hesitated before reaching over and giving them both a hug with his long arms. Gently, he whispered, "It's going to be okay, nanodayo. She'll still be with you in spirit. And besides, now you have a guardian angel, nanodayo. She'll protect you."

Kazunari smiled sadly. "Thank you, Shin-chan. I hope you have a good rest of the day."

Shintarou nodded before leaving and entering his house. The door was opened and for a split second, he heard the sound of a little girl. "Onii-chan! You're home! Mom and Dad were worried sick. Where were you?" Shintarou waved goodbye before closing the door behind him, greeting his family.

Kazunari began the rest of his walk home, enjoying the clear night sky. It seemed to be the only thing good about today. And he finally had time to himself, since Kazumi had fallen asleep in his arms. He let his feet guide the way while he sighed as a breeze blew through his hair.

But the moment he stepped foot on his block, he felt the dread pile up once more. He didn't want to go home, didn't want to look at everything of hers, smell her scent all over the house. He didn't want to face the fact that she was gone. And she wouldn't ever be coming back. They would fill her body with embalming chemicals so she was preserved. Then they'd have a wake and a funeral for her. No doubt they'd have to invite a lot of people, she was loved by many.

A headache slowly developed the more he thought of all the planning he'd have to do. He ignored the feeling of dread, however, and entered his house. Immediately he was bombarded by feelings, memories. He'd never be able to make more memories with her ever again. He'd never be able to hug her, to feel her lips on his forehead ever again. She somehow always managed to give him a kiss on his forehead, despite him being 5'9" and her being 5'0". She was short, which made it hilarious to watch her try to reach the top shelf of the kitchen.

As he was bombarded by these emotions and memories, Kazumi woke up. She recognized the atmosphere, the way it was so lively and homey. But now? Now it was just cold, and dark. They needed her here. They needed her to brighten things up again, they needed her to keep them happy and fed. Kazunari just wanted his mother back. Gulping, he set Kazumi down, who sleepily walked to her room, shivering in the cold air.

Tomorrow was another school day. Luckily for them, it was Friday, so they wouldn't have to go to school after that. Kazunari dropped their bags unceremoniously onto the ground, walking to the bathroom. There, he found Kazumi brushing her teeth, and he began his own nightly routine. He brushed his teeth and took a shower. Once he got out, he applied his overnight face mask and went to bed.

Kazunari looked in Kazumi's room for her, but she wasn't there. He knew exactly where she was, so he walked down the hallway, to his mother's room. He opened the door and found her buried in their mother's blanket. She let small tears fall and looked at him. "Onii-chan, is she ever coming back?"

Kazunari sniffed, clearing his throat. "Kazumi, do you know what death is?" The girl nodded, looking at him with wide eyes. "Well, I'll still explain it. Death is when someone's body shuts down and their soul leaves their body because it can't survive there anymore. It means they can't come back. Mom, she's... She's dead. She's not coming back."

Kazumi let more tears fall, swallowing thickly. "But I don't want her to leave. Why can't she stay with us, forever?"

Kazunari crossed his arms tightly. "I don't know. There's a lot of stuff that can't be explained. There's a lot of stuff I don't understand. There's even more stuff you don't understand-"

Kazumi huffed. "I understand plenty, thank you very much."

Kazunari smiled softly. "Of course." He chuckled. "Sorry, I'm so dumb." They giggled together before he asked, "Do you want to stay home tomorrow? I have to go to school, but you can stay home if you want." Kazumi thought for a moment before nodding. "That's nice to know. Now let's get some rest. If you wake up early, wake me up." Kazumi nodded once more before both fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Kazumi shook her brother awake. "Onii-chan, wake up! It's time to get ready for school."

The boy was drawn from his sleep, yawning as he stretched. "I'm up, I'm up." He climbed from the bed before everything that happened yesterday came flooding back, slamming into him full force. He gasped for breath, trying to process that today was a new day, a new light. He was going to get through today if only to make it to the weekend so he could cry in peace.

He peeled his face mask off, rinsed his face, then proceeded to get ready for the rest of the day. In only minutes, he was out the door and walking to Shintarou's house. Shintarou was waiting, listening to Oha Asa. Oha Asa is a website that ranks the Zodiac signs, 1 through 12. With every Zodiac comes a lucky item and a color to match. If you had those lucky items, it would ward off any bad luck you had.

Shintarou watched it every day, making sure to get his lucky item. Once he didn't have it and it was the worst day he'd ever had, full of problems and mishaps. That helped convince Kazunari to help get his lucky item every day, which Shintarou was grateful for.

Kazunari jogged to the doorstep, knocking on it once before it was opened and he was pulled in. It was Shizuka, Shintarou's little sister. She was hugging him tightly. "It's gonna be okay, Kazunari-chan. Everything's gonna be fine."

Kazunari gulped, swallowing his tears. He hugged back for a moment before letting go. "Thank you, Shizuka. Really."

Shintarou walked down the stairs quickly, making his way to the door. Once he was at the door, he slipped his shoes on and they quickly walked out the door. Shintarou listened closely to Oha Asa. He was ranked eleventh, which was bad. His lucky item was a body sponge, which was Cancer's lucky item. So, the two went to the 24-hour department store, quickly buying one. However, before they could leave, Shintarou made Kazunari wait. "You're ranked tenth today, nanodayo. I'll go get your lucky item." Scorpio, Kazunari's Zodiac, was, in fact, tenth today. Their lucky item was green peas, and they were told they would be getting a lot of support from people, some they didn't even know.

Oha Asa was right. People were coming from all directions, telling him how they were sorry for his loss, that it was gonna be okay, everything would get better soon. Kazunari grew tired of their words many times but was happy they still tried. Everyone sat close together during lunch, all wanting to be near Kazunari. By the end of the day, he was exhausted from having to deal with so many people.

When he got home, Kazumi was on the phone, talking with someone. "Yeah, he'll be here soon. Don't dismiss me like that, sir. I don't care who you are, respect the people who give you life-oh, Onii-chan is here! You can speak to him now, sir." Kazumi gave him an award winning smile. "There's a mean guy who wants to talk to you!"

Kazunari smiled, picking up the phone. "Thanks, Kazumi. I'll be a minute to talk with this guy, okay?" The girl nodded. "Okay, now go on. I need to talk with this guy now." Kazunari brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Takao Kazunari. I'm here to help plan your mother's funeral."

Kazunari gulped. "Ah, that. It's kinda hard to talk about this over the phone. Would you like to meet somewhere in town?"

"Yes, that would be good. Where?"

"How about Fukuro No Mise (book bag cafe in Japan)? Does that work?"

"Yes, that would be fine. Say we meet in, 30 minutes? Is that agreeable with your schedule?" Kazunari replied with an affirmative and the man on the other line responded, "Okay, see you in a half hour, Takao-san."

Kazunari hung up before going to Kazumi's room, where she was doing her homework. She noticed that her brother was in the doorway and smiled. "Hey, Onii-chan. I need your help on this." Kazunari came over and looked at it for a second. It was her English homework, which she was excelling in because her brother was awesome at it. It was his best subject, his favorite. Learning English was easy for him.

Kazunari looked at it for a second. The sentence was, 'I watched the fall of a great empire, watched it crumble beneath my fingertips.' Probably from some literary works in America. Kazunari glanced at the paper before turning to Kazumi. "You need to separate different words. Figure out what each word is before piecing the sentence together." Kazumi nodded and was about to begin working again, but he held her attention for a moment longer. "Hey, we're going to Fukuro No Mise to meet up with a funeral planner, so get ready. You can bring your homework with you."

Kazumi pouted, reluctantly nodding. "Fine. I still don't like him, he's mean to me." She got up from her seat and went to her closet to get a hoodie. She still hadn't changed out of her uniform, but she didn't care.

Kazunari left the room to get ready himself, putting on more casual clothes than his school uniform. As he got ready, he thought over everything he would have to do. He'd have to sell the house because he could hardly bear to be in it for more than an hour, plan a funeral for his own mother, and get legal ownership of Kazumi. No way was he letting her go, not after he'd lost Yuki.

He sighed when he was finally done, and went to Kazumi's room. She was sitting on her bed, still doing English homework from the day before. He beckoned her over, and they left the house after grabbing the keys and his wallet. When Kazumi was climbing into the car, he looked around and saw Shintarou walking over. The green-haired 6'5" tsundere was hard to miss. A tsundere is a person who is cold and hostile until you get to know them, and they eventually warm up to you, showing their warmer side.

He waved calmly. "Where are you going?" He gestured to the car Kazunari was going into.

Kazunari swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm going to meet with someone to plan my mom's... her-" He choked on his words, coughing up the grief that clawed at his throat.

Shintarou frowned. "I was coming to visit, but I guess there's a change of plans. Can I come with, if only for moral support?" Kazunari nodded and Shintarou got into the passenger seat next to Kazunari.

The air on the ride there was thick with tension and sorrow. Kazunari couldn't believe he was doing this. Planning his mother's funeral? He wasn't supposed to do this for another sixty years, not until she was in her nineties and older. He was supposed to have more memories with her, more than just his teen years. He had wanted to tell her things he had kept secret, for fear of her rejecting him.

Kazunari's eyes watered and he looked back at Kazumi. "Kazumi, I need to tell you something. Something I wanted to tell mom, that I can't keep from you."

Kazumi looked up, her eyebrows furrowed. "Onii-chan? What is it?" Her head tilted to the side, curiosity showing through.

Kazunari gulped. "This is hard to tell you, and I've already told Shin-chan..." Shintarou nodded, remembering what the hawk-eye had told him. "Kazumi, I'm... I'm gay."

Kazumi made a weird face, her lips pursed and her eyes squinted. "What does gay mean?"

Kazunari bit his lip. "Well, it means I like boys instead of girls, like the other people."

Kazumi considered it for a second. "Okay." Kazunari sighed in relief. She was okay with it. She didn't care, she wouldn't judge him. However, when she giggled, he felt nervous. "Onii-chan, I remember Mommy saying something along those lines. I think she said, 'Kazumi, I think your brother is gay. I mean, he hangs out with Shintarou-kun all the time, and the way he acts, he has to be'." Kazumi bit her cheek. "Yeah, I think that's what she said."

Kazunari and Shintarou blushed at what Kazumi had repeated. So Yuki had thought them to be in a relationship, huh? What an ironic thought.

However, when they glanced at each other before turning redder and avoiding each other's gaze, Kazunari realized maybe, just maybe, he might have a crush on his friend. Kazumi seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere and grinned. "Ooo, does someone have a crush~?" She teased.

Kazunari blushed harder, if possible. "What?! No, he's my friend!" But everyone in the car, even Shintarou, knew he was lying, even though he was amazing at lying. Sighing, he swallowed any fear he had. "Okay, maybe. I'm not gonna deny it, Shin-chan is kind of impossible not to be attracted to."

Shintarou coughed awkwardly. "Well, I'd say that's a lie. Some people find I'm impossible to be around."

Kazunari spared a glance at the tsundere. "I find it the opposite." Thinking for a second, he gathered his courage and straightened. "Say, Shin-chan." The other looked over with a raised eyebrow. "Would you be opposed to going out with me sometime?"

Shintarou blushed for a split second before it disappeared by sheer force of will. "I would not. I'm free tomorrow, are you?"

Kazunari grinned. "Yeah. Where do you wanna meet up?"

Shintarou tilted his head as he thought, raising his eyes to the ceiling of the car. "I'll let you choose." He said, a small smile taking place on his face.

Kazunari nodded and was about to reply when they arrived at Fukuro No Mise all too soon. He bit his lip before taking a deep breath. He unbuckled before leaving the car. Kazumi and Shintarou did the same and they all entered together, relaxing at the warm atmosphere inside. Kazunari looked around before they went up to order something. Kazunari got regular black tea, Shintarou got a cup of coffee, and Kazumi got a Chai Tea Latte. Once they got their drinks, they all went and sat down at a table for four.

The funeral planner arrived only minutes later, quickly noticing the group simply because of Shintarou's bright green hair. He walked over with a sympathetic smile. "Takao Kazunari?" Kazunari nodded and the man took a seat, setting his briefcase next to his chair. "Okay, let's get right to it if you don't mind." He put some folders he was holding on the table and opened it.

Several hours later, Kazunari and Shintarou were both physically and emotionally drained. Talking about his mother's funeral was taxing on his brain. Kazunari sighed as they all climbed into the car. Shintarou took a deep breath and let it out, shuddering. He didn't like having to help plan Takao Yuki's funeral. She was such a nice woman, too kind for such a cruel fate. He was also fairly close with her, which made it hurt all the more.

Kazunari flinched as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He fished it out and found it was a text from Shintarou's mother. It said, "I heard about your mother and the situation with the house. Would you mind coming over so I can talk to you in person?"

Kazunari texted back a quick affirmative before pocketing the phone and pulling out of the parking lot and driving to the Shintarou's house. Shintarou was surprised when they pulled up to his house, but Kazunari just shushed him, unbuckling and exiting the car. "Your mother texted me. She wanted me to come over to talk about the house."

The three hurried inside because of the chill outside, not wanting to freeze. Hoshiko, Shintarou's mother, smiled brightly when she saw the Takao siblings. "Kazunari-kun! Kazumi-chan!" She walked over and pulled them into a tight hug. "I'm so happy to see you two."

Kazunari let a small smile appear on his face, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came. "Hey, Midorima-san (san is Japanese for "Mr." "Mrs." or "Ms." It is viewed as a term of familiarity but also respect). You wanted to talk about the house?"

Hoshiko flinched, sighing. "I didn't think the topic would change so quickly. But yes, I wanted to talk about the house. I assume you wouldn't want to live in a place surrounded by memories of your mother." Kazunari swallowed the painful lump in his throat, nodding. She smiled sympathetically. "I thought so. It's good because a friend of mine is looking for a house exactly like yours. When you sell the house, you can live here. If you want to, of course."

Kazunari perked up. "Really? You'd do that for us?"

Hoshiko nodded with a grin. "Of course! You're practically family!" She yawned and stretched a little bit. "Well, that settles it. If you want, you can spend the night. It is the weekend after all, and our houses aren't that far."

Kazunari relaxed his shoulders, sighing. "I'd like that, actually. And," He watched as Shizuka dragged Kazumi away, to her room. "Kazumi needs something good right now. Something to give her hope that things will be okay again."

Shintarou coughed lightly and Hoshiko and Kazunari turned toward him. He cleared his throat before saying, "I don't have a spare futon (a futon is a Japanese quilted mattress rolled out on the floor to serve as a bed) he could use, Mom."

Hoshiko shrugged, waving it off. "Who said you needed one? You can just share, right?"

Kazunari hid his blush and Shintarou sighed, willing away the slight tint in his cheeks. "I don't see why not, but it might be a little bit awkward."

Hoshiko shrugged again. "Eh, you can deal with that. I'm going to bed now. Make sure you actually sleep tonight." She trudged up the stairs and waved a good night. "Good night, boys. See you in the morning."

Shintarou nodded and Kazunari yawned, letting out a mewling sound. His eyes widened because that was possibly the cutest thing he's ever seen. When Kazunari finished his little yawn/stretch session, he hung Kazumi's bookbag up on a hook. It had all her homework, as well as some entertainment sources. Slipping their shoes off, Kazunari and Shintarou made their way to Shintarou's room, which was stuffed full of lucky items from previous days. There were things from stuffed animals, sparkly stickers, and tubes of lipstick, to giant toy trains, mini marble stairs, and statues of macaroni penguins. It really was comical, how much stuff he had.

Chuckling, Kazunari flopped on Shintarou's bed, completely beat. Shintarou hid a smile and turned away, choosing instead to get out his pajamas. It was a simple pair of sweatpants and a white T-shirt. Kazunari glanced at his tall friend and asked, "Hey, could I borrow some pajamas?"

Shintarou nodded and pulled out a smaller pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Giggling, Kazunari put them on and laughed as the T-shirt swallowed him up. It hung off of one shoulder and made Kazunari look smaller than he was. The sweatpants were elastic, which helped keep them up, but they were still extremely loose, on the verge of falling off. Kazunari pulled the pants up before hopping into the bed, with Shintarou climbing after him. They kept their distance until Kazunari said, "Shin-chan, will you hold me?" The tsundere obliged, bringing the smaller into his embrace. Kazunari tried to smile as warmth enveloped him, but it just wouldn't come.

He teared up, holding back sobbed. "Why did she have to go?" His voice was brittle as he balanced on the brink of tears. "Why did they have to take my mother? Why couldn't they take my deadbeat dad? No one cares about him but himself."

Shintarou pulled Kazunari closer, as if trying to shield him from the harms of the world. "I don't know, Takao. She was such an amazing woman. I don't understand either."

Kazunari started crying, unable to hold the floodgates closed. He turned around and sobbed into Shintarou's shirt, soaking the material. His whole body heaved as he tried to comprehend why they would take the person he loved more than the world, why they'd take away someone he needed because he was still a child, he was still learning how to grow up, how to be an adult. He wasn't ready to grow up so quickly, to take care of himself and another child. He wasn't prepared to plan a funeral or sell a house. Why was this happening? Why not happen to someone who was actually grown up and financially stable instead of a teenager and his sister?

Shintarou let him cry, not bothering to tell him it was going to be okay. Because for Kazunari? It might not be, not when he was falling apart. He had to plan his mother's funeral, sell his mother's house. Everything he was doing had to do with his mother, and that tore him up. So of course Shintarou wasn't going to say everything was going to be okay. Because not everything was going to be.

It was an hour later when Kazunari had cried himself to sleep. Shintarou sighed, cuddling the boy in his arms. "You'll make it through this. I believe you will, Kazunari. You'll get through this." He murmured before falling asleep himself.

~( )~

It was several weeks later when the wake happened. Kazunari had invited his whole family and reluctantly invited his dad. His dad, named Mitsuki, still loved his mother but wasn't prepared to be a father for two. So, he left, not bothering to pay child support. Yuki and Mitsuki were still married after all these years, eight years of separation. When Kazunari called the man a few days before, Mitsuki quickly picked up. "Yuki? You haven't called in awhile, is everything okay?"

Kazunari choked up after hearing his mother's name."No, this is her son, Kazunari." He gulped and continued. "I'd like to formally invite you to the wake and the funeral of Takao Yuki, a great single mother and a beautiful woman, kind to all." A sob sounded from the receiver, but Kazunari continued, disregarding Mitsuki's feelings. "That's all, Mitsuki. Have a good day."

He was about to hang up, but Mitsuki stopped him. "Wait, Kazunari, please." When he hadn't heard the beep of someone hanging up, he continued speaking. "How. How did the love of my life die?"

Kazunari pursed his lips. "If you loved her, you wouldn't have left us. You would have attempted to raise us, not leave."

Mitsuki let out a cry. "Just- please, just tell me how. I just need to know."

Kazunari sighed and swallowed the lump in his throat. "You can find out at the funeral." Then he hung up, putting the phone down.

Now, at the wake, Kazunari greeted people as they came in with tears in their eyes. They said they were sorry for his loss, but Kazunari was non-reactive to the words, having been numb to them since the start. He took a deep breath as everyone had finally gotten there, lining the street. Mitsuki had shown up, desperate to find out what happened to his wife.

Kazunari frowned when the man came up to him. "Kazunari, my son-"

He held up a hand. "No, Mitsuki. You're not my father. I don't have a father, he bailed when I was young."

Mitsuki looked physically pained by his words and sighed. "Kazunari. How did my wife-" Kazunari cleared his throat. Mitsuki was quick to correct himself. "How did Yuki die, if I may ask?"

Kazunari gulped. "Grade 4 cancer. It approached too quickly for the doctors to ward off." With that, he walked off, going to where Kazumi was sitting with her older cousins. The oldest were Chiyoko and Toshihiro. They were 16 and 15. After that came Hisoka and Kin, age 11 and 9. He waved kindly before speaking. "I'd like to thank you guys for coming. It means a lot."

Chiyoko waved it off, tears gathering in her dark grey depths. "Well, Aunt Yuki was so kind. I'd never forgive myself if I hadn't come." Toshihiro nodded solemnly, his own eyes growing red.

Kin smiled sadly. "Remember when she made us these giant chocolate chip cookies? They were the best I'd ever had. Even better than grandmother's."

Hisoka grinned. "And remember when we completely wrecked the tree house she made with Uncle Mitsuki and said we'd fix it?" Everyone laughed.

Kazunari giggled. "Well, that was what we'd call 'A group effort'. Too bad we never did fix it. I think she would have liked to have something of her own once Mitsuki left."

Kazumi waddled over to her older brother, burying her face in his shirt. "I remember one time, we went out to a park and she got pooped on by a bird. Onii-chan was laughing so much I didn't know if he'd be able to stop." The cousins laughed at that, not knowing that had happened.

The rest of the wake was full of laughter, smiles, and sadness once the children broke the ice. Everyone went back over memories they had of her, laughing at almost every single one of them. She was such a silly woman, full of laughter and smiles.

The funeral was held the next day at a nearby park and everyone was solemn, with no laughter and no smiles. Kazunari and Chiyoko carried the front of the coffin while Mitsuki and his brother-in-law had the back. Everyone started sobbing because everything became all too real. She really was gone, and she wouldn't come back. Kazunari's face crumpled as he held back tears.

Kazumi was waiting at a pew set up specifically for this occasion, saving a seat for her brother. She was crying, her entire body shaking as the tears cascaded down her face. Kazunari tried to hurry setting the coffin down so he could comfort his sister, though he wasn't any better. Shintarou was next to the spot reserved for Kazunari, holding back emotions of his own. He didn't want to cry, especially not in front of people he didn't know all that well.

Kazunari beckoned Kazumi over as more people, people who adored her in his community, slowly flooded in. They stood next to the coffin, albeit reluctantly. What Kazunari wasn't expecting was his teammates on the basketball team to come. They all filed in before approaching him. He burst into tears, unable to stop them. They all gave him hugs before sitting down.

Kazunari gulped, stopping his tears and taking a deep breath. He quickly wiped them away and sent Kazumi back to her seat as the ceremony started. He walked up to the podium and glanced over everyone there. Joy filled his heart and he started crying. He was just so happy that his teammates had come to this, happy they had remembered something as important as this.

Kazunari relaxed before looking at the coffin behind him. He smiled sadly. He wasn't happy that this was how it had to happen, but his mother's death had brought him closer to his friends, and it even scored him a boyfriend. And somehow, he knew it'd be okay. He knew everything would get better, eventually.

Maybe it would be for the better.


End file.
